Deputy Prime Minister speech on the state of UK nature
Nick Clegg gave the keynote speech at the RSPB's State of Nature conference.
Highlights of the speech
Full transcript
Like millions across the UK, one of my earliest memories is being sat on the sofa with my parents, eyes glued to the television, as Sir David showed us another of the world바카라 사이트s natural wonders. I still watch with my kids today.
Sir David바카라 사이트s message now, as then, was that nature defines us and must be respected and conserved.
It바카라 사이트s a message that applies as much to Britain바카라 사이트s diverse natural landscape as it does to the rainforests of Borneo and Brazil. From the food we eat and energy we use to the way we live and make our living, our natural environment is an indelible part of who we are as a nation.
For generations, it바카라 사이트s inspired our greatest poets, writers and artists 바카라 사이트 Keats바카라 사이트 nightingale, Wordsworth바카라 사이트s daffodils, the Brontes바카라 사이트 moors and Turner바카라 사이트s landscapes. In fact, ask anyone to describe our country and, inevitably, their mind will turn to our greatest natural landmarks such as the White Cliffs of Dover, Giant바카라 사이트s Causeway, Scottish Highlands, the majestic peaks of Snowdonia and others.
This connection to nature is critical to our continued well-being and success. It gives us peace of mind. It keeps us healthy. It also provides essential natural services 바카라 사이트 such as the pollination of crops 바카라 사이트 without which our economy and society just wouldn바카라 사이트t function.
That바카라 사이트s in addition to the boost it gives industries like UK tourism, which generates billions of pounds for our economy. Every year, around 75 million trips are made to observe England바카라 사이트s wildlife. That바카라 사이트s over 5 times the visits made to watch Premier League football matches.
For too long, however, we바카라 사이트ve taken this valuable natural capital for granted. Only in the last 20 years or so, as more people have become aware of the global threat of climate change, have we begun to fully understand our own environmental impact.
Last year바카라 사이트s identified that 60% of the 3,148 species monitored had declined in the UK over the last 50 years. Around a third has declined strongly.
We바카라 사이트re not just talking about the rarest species here, but some of our most common wildlife. In the last 35 years, we바카라 사이트ve lost more than 2 thirds of the UK바카라 사이트s house sparrow population. That바카라 사이트s a massive decline, contributable to a range of factors such as the destruction of natural habitats, agriculture pressures and increased pollution.
It바카라 사이트s a stark warning. But, despite growing public concern, the natural environment has been allowed to slip down the UK political agenda.
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We believe that everyone, whatever their background, circumstances or political beliefs, has a duty to both help our country grow and secure a more sustainable quality of life for the future.
That바카라 사이트s why the Liberal Democrats joined the coalition government in the first place: to ensure that future generations did not have to pay the price for this generation바카라 사이트s mistakes, economic and environmental.
It바카라 사이트s also why, I was proud to add my backing to Bob 바카라 사이트 the red squirrel who is campaigning to put nature on the national agenda. I바카라 사이트ll also be encouraging my colleagues and others to do the same at .
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The serious fact is that, whatever the sceptics want us to think, green growth isn바카라 사이트t a contradiction in terms. Our natural resources are finite so, in the future, the only sustainable growth will be green. We need to start laying the foundations for tomorrow바카라 사이트s prosperity today 바카라 사이트 making every penny count and using what we have more responsibly.
The State of Nature Report reinforces the point that our environmental future is 바카라 사이트a choice not a fate바카라 사이트 바카라 사이트 American environmentalist, Donella Meadows. And that working together 바카라 사이트 whether as government, NGOs, nature experts, or one of the thousands of dedicated volunteers and millions of ordinary people who want to do their bit 바카라 사이트 we can choose to make a difference.
So, since 2010, we have worked hard to ensure the coalition government delivers an ambitious green agenda.
It바카라 사이트s true that we haven바카라 사이트t always won the day. Yet, we have achieved some important changes.
In 2011, we published the coalition government바카라 사이트s Natural Environment white paper. This was the first such policy document on the natural environment in over 2 decades. It set out a detailed programme to preserve our wildlife, land, rivers and seas for future generations. In the last 3 years, we바카라 사이트ve implemented 3 quarters of its commitments.
This includes establishing the Natural Capital Committee 바카라 사이트 a team of experts dedicated to monitoring and safeguarding Britain바카라 사이트s natural wealth.
Through our new Biodiversity Strategy, we바카라 사이트re taking steps to halt the decline in biodiversity both nationally and globally. In 2013 to 2014, we바카라 사이트re investing around Β£530 million in biodiversity conservation.
In planning, we바카라 사이트ve maintained strong protections for the Green Belt, National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, promoting sustainable development.
To rid our countryside of the blight of discarded plastic bags, we바카라 사이트re introducing our new 5 pence charge on single-use plastic carrier bags next year. We want this measure to cut the number of these bags being used and carelessly thrown away significantly.
We바카라 사이트re improving the quality of our soil, restoring England바카라 사이트s peatlands and securing the future of our woodlands. Through the , we will have planted over a million new trees by the end of this parliament, many in our most deprived areas. England now has 10% woodland cover 바카라 사이트 its highest level in 600 years.
Meanwhile over 95% of our Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are being maintained in favourable or recovering status. That바카라 사이트s 1 million hectares of land: ranging from the moors in the eastern Peak District, near to my constituency, to London바카라 사이트s Richmond Park.
In our seas, we바카라 사이트ve created 27 Marine Conservation Zones. These help safeguard rare, fragile or important marine habitats and species including coral reefs, seahorses and starfish. More sites are planned for next year.
We바카라 사이트re managing our fish stocks more sustainably: securing an historic deal to reform the EU바카라 사이트s Common Fisheries Policy that will finally ban the wasteful practice of discards.
I바카라 사이트d like to pay particular tribute to Chris Davies who campaigned so long and hard on this and on so many other environmental issues as an outstanding MEP. The green agenda has been weakened by his loss in this year바카라 사이트s European elections.
We바카라 사이트re reforming the water industry to make it work more sustainably. We want to increase competition and ensure suppliers support the long-term resilience of our water resources. In fact, water companies are investing Β£3.4 billion to improve the environmental status of our rivers, lakes and coastal waters.
As the risk of floods and other extreme weather events increases, the coalition government is investing record levels of resources 바카라 사이트 Β£3.2 billion over the course of this Parliament 바카라 사이트 to strengthen our flood defences and protect against the erosion of our coastline.
Central to all these measures바카라 사이트 success is our work to tackle global climate change.
In government, we have fought tirelessly to reduce carbon emissions and boost our sustainable energy generation.
This includes reforming our electricity market to help increase investment in low-carbon energy. In the last 4 years, the coalition government has more than doubled the share of total electricity generation which comes from renewables.
We have also committed Β£3.9 billion to the International Climate Fund to help developing countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, eliminate deforestation and protect their biodiversity.
These are all important measures to preserve our natural heritage. Yet we still have a long way to go. Wherever we can, we are committed to pushing our coalition partners 바카라 사이트 present and future 바카라 사이트 to go further and faster.
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Most importantly of all, we need to keep pushing back on those myths that dismiss our natural environment as either an unaffordable extra or a commodity to be used without concern for the future. Essential to that is ensuring people바카라 사이트s connection to nature is something we cherish and maintain.
With over 3 quarters of us now living in towns and cities, and modern life increasing in speed all the time, there바카라 사이트s a genuine risk of us living more and more of our lives indoors or online - away from the natural world.
That has serious consequences for the health and development of us and our children. Many young people now know more about playing Angry Birds on their phone than they do about spotting real birds when they바카라 사이트re outside.
To counter that, we need to have cities that make space for nature and a countryside that is open and accessible for all to enjoy.
Over the last 4 years, the coalition government has been focused on tackling the UK바카라 사이트s lack of affordable housing. Communities across Britain 바카라 사이트 both urban and rural 바카라 사이트 are desperate for more homes.
But we also recognise that too little thought has been given in the past to how we meet that need without destroying our natural environment.
We know it can be done. In the early 20th Century, Britain needed thousands of new homes for its workers. In answer the greatest planners of the time, Ebenezer Howard and Raymond Unwin, designed and built Garden Cities.
These communities sought to combine the best of British design with practical urban living and the harmony of our natural environment. Letchworth was the first. Today, in line with their founders바카라 사이트 vision, these communities still offer those who live and work there access to green spaces and countryside, alongside modern infrastructure and transport links.
So I바카라 사이트ve been working to develop a new generation of Garden Cities. We want local people to take the lead: coming together to plan for their own future. The government has now published its Garden Cities Prospectus, inviting local areas to submit their ideas for garden cities or suburbs near them. We바카라 사이트re already discussing potential expressions of interest with several communities.
My ultimate aim is that every new home in a Garden City should be within 5 to 10 minutes of a green space, whether that바카라 사이트s a park, public garden, woodland or other open space. We want these developments to show that progress doesn바카라 사이트t have to come at the cost of our natural landscape.
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I also want to see far greater progress in opening up Britain바카라 사이트s coastal paths. Over the past 5 years, the right of permanent public access has only been added to a further 123 kilometres of England바카라 사이트s 4,000 kilometres of coastline, despite the Marine and Coastal Act making this public access a legal obligation for government.
At this rate, we will have built High Speed 2 and the UK바카라 사이트s first space port 바카라 사이트 all before our coastal path is completed. You바카라 사이트ll be able to fly in space, before you can walk around our coast.
That바카라 사이트s just not good enough and I바카라 사이트ve been pushing for this process to be speeded up.
It hasn바카라 사이트t been easy, but I바카라 사이트m pleased to announce today that the government will be putting the funding in place to ensure the path is completed by 2020.
As more natural spaces like this become available, we need to inspire more people to visit them. Sometimes, you can live just ten minutes walk from a park and never even realise it.
In this day and age, people expect to be able to get information like this at the swipe of a touch screen and there really is no reason why information about our nearest parks and green spaces should be any different.
Currently, different public bodies hold this data 바카라 사이트 whether it바카라 사이트s Ordnance Survey, Defra or other public sector organisations 바카라 사이트 with no single resource available to the public.
That바카라 사이트s why I바카라 사이트m pleased to announce today that we are working with Ordnance Survey to produce a new official, online and free Green Spaces Map.
One of the first of its kind in the world, this map will display every bit of publicly accessible green space in England and Wales 바카라 사이트 ensuring that you바카라 사이트ll never be far from nature again.
We will also make this data openly available to software developers. We want them to find new and innovative ways to use this data and improve the way we all access, manage and preserve our natural environment. Just like the apps that tell you when your bus or train is due, they could produce new and exciting solutions to help people plot cycle rides through parks, choose where to live, plan a visit to their nearest nature reserve or even help town planners to protect local natural landmarks. The sky really is the limit.
Finally, one of our greatest natural treasures is the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Established in 1759, Kew Gardens is one of the world바카라 사이트s most important botanical research and education facilities.
It is home to over 30,000 living plants, millions of preserved plant specimens and, through the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, is helping to save the world바카라 사이트s rarest plants from extinction.
As such, Kew Gardens is now a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the UK바카라 사이트s leading tourist destinations. Yet, like every publically funded organisation, Kew has been facing a squeeze on its budgets in recent years.
Given Kew바카라 사이트s scientific and environmental importance, the government is focused on ensuring that its great work can continue. That바카라 사이트s why I바카라 사이트m pleased to announce today that I have secured Β£1.5 million of further government funding for Kew Gardens until April 2015.
This is something that I know a lot of you have been campaigning for and marks, I hope, another important step towards protecting our environmental future.
In conclusion, none of us want our sons and daughters to have to explain to their children about how our country바카라 사이트s natural wealth was carelessly lost.
All of us have a duty to act now. The evidence clearly shows our natural world is at risk.
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Thank you.
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